Elah
e.lah is a proper name borne by several people and by the Valley of Elah.
The attested forms function chiefly as a personal proper name, identifying figures in genealogies and royal notices, including Elah son of Baasha and Elah father of Hoshea. They also identify the Valley of Elah, where Saul’s forces camped and fought the Philistines.
Senses in use
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Personal name in genealogical and royal notices · dominant
The form is tagged Noun · Proper where it identifies individuals: in 1 Kings 16:8 the APB renders “Elah the son of Baasha” as becoming king over Israel, while 2 Kings 17:1 identifies Hoshea as “son of Elah.” In 1 Chronicles 4:15, the APB lists Elah among Caleb’s sons and then names “the sons of Elah.”
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Place name in the Valley of Elah · occasional
The proper-name form occurs in the location phrase “Valley of Elah” in 1 Samuel 17:2, where the APB renders Saul and Israel as camping there to meet the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 17:19, the same valley is the setting for Israel’s fighting with the Philistines.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB normally presents the personal use simply as “Elah,” often within relationship phrases such as “Elah his son” or “Hoshea son of Elah.” It explicitly gives “Valley of Elah” in 1 Samuel 17:2 and 1 Samuel 17:19, while its rendering of 1 Samuel 21:10 does not visibly reproduce the term.